Inquiries and Investigations

Making strong and targeted use of our powers, combining advice with conciliation and, where necessary, litigation we help people to achieve social change and ensure organisations can meet their legal and moral responsibilities under equality legislation and the Human Rights Act.

Preventing Deaths in Detention of Adults with Mental Health Conditions

Our Inquiry looked at non-natural deaths of adults with mental health conditions in detention in England and Wales. We focused on prisons, police custody and psychiatric hospitals, as every year hundreds of deaths occur that are later deemed to have been preventable. Find out more about the Inquiry

Investigation into the Metropolitan Police Service

Inquiry into the recruitment and appointment practices on company boards

This inquiry will look at the recruitment and appointment practices of the top 350 listed companies at board level. The aim is to identify recruitment practices which make a difference and deliver open, fair and merit based appointments. The findings will be published in Spring 2015 and used to produce best practice guidance. Find out more about the inquiry.

Fair financial decision-making: Section 31 Assessment of HM Treasury

In May 2012, we published a landmark report of the extent to which HM Treasury met its legal obligations to consider the impact of the Government's 2010 Spending Review on people with protected characteristics. Since the Report, the Commission has been working with HM Treasury and others on the recommendations. View full details of the Assessment.

Inquiry into home care of older people

Our inquiry looked at the effectiveness of the English care and support system in protecting and promoting the human rights of older people requiring or receiving home based care and support. We have now published our final report which reveals disturbing evidence that the poor treatment of many older people is breaching their human rights and that hundreds of thousands of older people lack protection under the Human Rights Act. Find out more about the home care Inquiry.

Inquiry into disability-related harassment

Our inquiry into disability-related harassment is looking at how well public bodies are addressing the issues. We have now published our final report which uncovers hundreds of thousands of disabled people regularly experience violence and bullying, much of which is going unrecognised by public authorities. Find out about the inquiry

Gender discrimination in the Finance sector inquiry

The results of our Inquiry into sex discrimination in the finance sector have now been published, revealing large discrepancies in performance related pay between female and male colleagues. Our follow-up report set outs our conclusions about the steps finance sector companies need to take to tackle gender inequality and the pay gap. Find full details of the Finance Inquiry and read the report

Inquiry into Human Trafficking in Scotland

This Inquiry aims to identify the nature, extent and causes of human trafficking in Scotland, with a particular focus on commercial sexual exploitation. It will assess to what extent Scotland is meeting international and domestic human rights obligations to prevent and prohibit trafficking, prosecute traffickers, and protect its victims. Find out more about the human trafficking inquiry within the Scotland area of the site.

Inquiry into recruitment and employment in the meat and poultry processing sector

A taskforce set up by the Commission has helped the meat and poultry processing industry bring about marked improvements in the way both British and migrant agency workers are treated. The taskforce was created two years ago following the Commission's wide-ranging inquiry into recruitment and employment practices in the sector. The inquiry revealed serious allegations of ill-treatment and discrimination against agency workers, and pregnant women in particular. The inquiry also highlighted tensions between different nationalities working together in the sector. In 2012, the Commission published a review that includes a set of recommendations to tackle these issues and more, and the Commission will continue to work with processing firms, labour providers, supermarkets and other regulators to ensure that all workers are treated fairly. Read more about the Inquiry.

Inquiry findings: The construction industry needs to do more to attract ethnic minority workers

The results of our Inquiry into race discrimination in the construction industry have been published, revealing poor recruitment practices that block ethnic minorities from entering the industry. The report makes a number of recommendations to improve fairness and increase representation. Following the report, we have created an Action Plan and launched the Construction Diversity Leadership Forum, both designed to increase the number of employment opportunities for under-represented groups and diversify the supply chain in procurement. In addition, BIS has issued new British Standard for procurement in the Construction industry, which includes equality actions. Find full details of the Construction Inquiry